Parsons city commissioners on Monday updated the ordinance relating to dogs at-large.
Commissioners changed the fine schedule for those who allow dogs to run at-large. The fine was $30 plus municipal court costs of $110. Now, after the ordinance becomes law, the first time fine will be $50. If the same dog is allowed to run at-large again in the calendar year, the fine doubles to $100.
In September, commissioners changed the ordinance in how it relates to at-large animals who bite a person or attack another domestic animal. Now if an at-large dog bites a person, the owner will have to pay $500. If the at-large animal attacks or wounds another domestic animal, the owner will pay $400.
Last month, Commissioner Tom Shaw asked to review the ordinance again to address at-large animals. He said at the time that while the change relating to dog bites does good things, he didn’t think it did enough to prevent future attacks by addressing the at-large issue with more stringent penalties. He thought a larger penalty may act as a deterrent to keep dog owners from allowing dogs to roam at-large in the first place.
Shaw asked Monday if the at-large ordinance applies to cats.
City Attorney Ross Albertini said cats can run loose. He said there is an ordinance on general animal nuisances that can apply to cats especially if they are tearing up property such as flower beds. The nuisance ordinance can also apply to barking dogs. But police aren’t writing tickets for cats at-large, he said.
Commissioners approved the ordinance change on a 5-0 vote.
Camera upgrade
The commission also agreed to purchase a new IP-based camera system for the Parsons Police Department at a cost of $20,253.32 from UPLINK. The new cameras will replace old analog cameras in and around the department, including those that are recording in the lock up facility. The ones in use are exceeding the capabilities of the old DVR system.
The replacement will add 25 digital cameras, most recording in 4K, and replace the network video recorder used to store the video. The public safety sales tax is paying for the upgrade.
Police Chief Robert Spinks told commissioners about the camera needs, which commissioners also discussed last week. He added that the department also will have to look at replacing its phone system in the near future, which is also beyond its useful life. With the current system, replacement parts recently had to be purchased on eBay.
Commissioners approved the purchase of the IP camera system.
Water leak
City Utilities Director Derek Clevenger told commissioners about a water leak on Sept. 20. A citizen told commissioners recently about the water being allowed to run down the
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street for quite some time before the city crews addressed the problem. The concern is that the city has paid a lot of money to treat the water only to allow it to wash away.
Clevenger said the first citizen report came at 5:51 p.m. that night. The on-call employee tried to call people in to address the leak. By 6:18 p.m. the employee had call the utility location team because the city isn’t allowed to dig without having other utilities marked. The underground utility location team, which citizens can access by calling 811, may take up to two hours to respond, though it’s usually quicker than that.
He said with a leak of that size crews usually let the water run unless the leak is in a large line, such as a 10 or 12 inch main line. If they had to shut off the water, nearby residents would be without water until the repair is made. But the city crew had to wait at the site for some time before digging because they needed to have the underground utilities marked.
“It looks like a lot of water, and it is,” Clevenger said. Commissioners agreed that they and the city would get three times the number of phone calls if the water department shut off the water to that neighborhood while a city crew waited for up to two hours for the utility location service to arrive instead of just shutting off the water when the repair is made.
Motorized bikes, scooters Commissioner Leland Crooks asked about the possibility of regulating the powered bicycles and scooters that are seen more now around town. Some of these can run at 20 to 30 mph, he said.
The concern is that while some of these operators follow traffic laws, others do not, and the powered bikes and scooters don’t have turn signals.
He said there may not be a problem now but he thought commissioners should look at it before there is a problem.
Albertini said for some of these citizens the powered bikes or scooters may be their only mode of transportation, and if they don’t have a driver’s license as may be required, then traffic enforcement could take away their only mode of transportation.
Commissioner Kevin Cruse said he saw someone zip by him on Monday and he knew that person didn’t have a driver’s license. But he added that he didn’t want to take away someone’s only mode of transportation either.
Albertini said he and the police department will research what other communities are doing about traffic enforcement of these powered bikes and scooters.
Vicki Pribble asked if bikes were allowed on sidewalks. Albertini said they are not. Bikes are to be in the street. Spinks said bikes are supposed to follow the same rules of the road as vehicles but some riders do not.
